1. Field of the Invention.
The present invention relates to prosthetic hip stem implants, and, more particularly, to a device for aligning a prosthetic hip stem implant.
2. Description of the Related Art.
A prosthetic hip stem implant typically includes a neck and a stem. The neck is disposed at a predetermined angular orientation relative to the longitudinal axis of the stem, which may vary depending upon the particular make and model of hip stem implant which is utilized.
It is known to align a prosthetic hip stem implant relative to an opening in a proximal femur prior to fully seating the hip stem implant within the opening. One known hip stem implant includes a visual indicia on a lip extending therefrom. The surgeon aligns the visual indicia on the lip of the hip stem implant with a visual alignment mark which is created on the calcar surface of the proximal femur. The hip stem implant typically includes a plurality of longitudinally extending self cutting splines around the periphery thereof which engage the cortical bone in the opening of the proximal femur. With such a hip stem implant, it is necessary to align the visual indicia on the lip with the visual alignment mark on the calcar surface prior to engagement between the self cutting splines and cortical bone of the proximal femur. This alignment is necessary because the hip stem implant cannot be rotated in the proximal femur after the grooves are cut therein by the self cutting splines. Aligning the visual indicia on the lip of the hip stem implant with the visual alignment mark on the calcar surface of the proximal femur can at times be difficult.
What is needed in the art is an alignment device which relatively accurately aligns the hip stem implant relative to the opening formed in the proximal femur prior to engagement between the self cutting splines of the hip stem implant and the cortical bone of the proximal femur.